Grant Awarded for Summer Meal Program

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), has awarded a $49,000 grant to the City of Wichita Park and Recreation Department to support its free lunch program at four Summer Activities Camps. The free lunch is available to the camp participants and all others under the age of 18. More than 400 people take advantage of the free lunches on a daily basis at the camps.

The grant money comes from the Wal-Mart Foundation’s $2 billion, “Fighting Hunger Together” initiative. Part of those funds will be used to serve nearly 5 million meals to children in 2010 and 2011 through Park and Recreation programs across the United States.

“We are grateful to the Wal-Mart Foundation and NRPA,” said Doug Kupper, Park and Recreation Director. “These funds will allow us to feed young people at the camps and from the surrounding neighborhoods.”

“At Wal-Mart, we're committed to fighting child hunger. We know millions of kids who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year are at risk of going hungry in the summer months,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. “Through our partnership with NRPA, we'll be able to ensure that nearly 5 million kids in need will receive nutritious meals.”

In 2010 and 2011, NRPA will award grants to 15 park and recreation agencies for feeding programs that will provide a combined 111,962 meals per day to qualified children in the summer months. The list of cities benefiting from this gift in 2010 include Albuquerque, N.M.; Atlanta, Ga.; Austin, Texas; Bakersfield, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Greenville, S.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Montgomery, Ala.; Portland, Ore.; San Diego, Calif.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; and Wichita, Kan.